Weedless live bait fishing plug



Dec. 18, 1956 H. A. MATZ WEEDLESS LIVE} BAIT FISHING PLUG Filed Dec. 2,1954 Herman 4. Mat: 7 INVENTOR.

9 BY 0d 8%?! United States Patent 2,774,169 WEEDLESS LIVE BAIT FISHINGPLUG Herman A. Matz, Per-ham, Minn. Application December 2, 1954, SerialNo. 472,680 4 Claims c1. 43-41 The present invention relates to certainnew and useful improvements in a structurally novel and distinct fishingdevice and has reference in particular to one which is characterized bya wooden or equivalent lightweight and buoyant plug having means thereonfor satisfactorily attaching and retaining a live minnow, said meansbeing thought to be structurally unique and aptly suited to betterfulfill the requirements of fishermen.

It will be evident that an object of the invention is to structurallyand functionally improve upon similarly constructed and performingWeedless plug-type fishing devices. To this end, the plug itself isbelieved to be structurally distinct in that it is slotted lengthwise tothus provide a construction which lends itself to expeditiousmanufacturing and assembling and allows shank portions of complementalparts tobe readily positioned, assembled and adequately. secured betweenthe components of the plug.

More specifically, novelty is predicated upon a slotted plug or bodywherein the eye-equipped end of the shank of the fishhook is locatedbetween the body components, there being a rod member cooperabletherewith and having an eye aligned with the usual eye on the shank ofthe fishhook, said aligned eyes permitting the passage of a singleassembling and fastening screw therethrough and also through, or partlythrough, the stated components of the plug.

Further, novelty is predicated on the construction covered and whereinthe single assembling screw also passes through a third eye, that is, aneye on the end of the shank portion of a bait anchoring hook whichlatter hook is anchored on the central top side of the plug.

Briefly, the invention has to do with a buoyant plug, a fishhook spacedfrom the trailing end of the plug and having a rigid shank mountedaxially in the plug. A live bait hook, having a rigid shank, issuperimposed upon the top of the plug and secured to the central portionof the plug and is coplanar with the fishhook and with the shanks inparallelism. The plug itself is longitudinally slotted and embodiescomplemental top and bottom portions, each of the stated shanks havingan eye and the eyes being aligned with one another and one of the eyesbeing confined in the slot existing between the top and bottom portions.A single assembling screw is screwed through the top portion and alsointo the bottom portion and passes through both the eyes to assemble thecooperating parts. The slot is tapered outwardly and has a suitablefiller therein. A plurality of flexibly resilient wires have theirforward ends removably secured to the plug forwardly of the live baithook and their rear ends are free and project beyond the trailing end ofthe plug and overlie the fishhook. The free ends have tight coil returnbends providing front terminals to prevent unnecessary injury to a fishin an obvious manner.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparentfrom the following description and the accompanying sheet ofillustrative drawings.

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In the drawings wherein like numerals are employed to designate likeparts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a live bait fishing plug constructedin accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the attachable end of one of the weeddeflecting or guard wires.

Figure 3 is a top plan view.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure'6 is a cross-section taken on the plane of the line 6-6 of Figure1.

Figure 7 is a perspective view with portions broken away and shown insection.

Referring now to the drawings with the aid of reference numerals, theplug is constructed of any suitable lightweight buoyant stock ormaterial, commercial plastics, wood, or whatever is found to be mostsatisfactory for eflicient and economical manufacturing results. Theplug is substantially circular in cross-section as brought out in'Figs.5 and 6. It is made up, as before stated, of a side slotted plugdefining top and bottom portions, here referred to as a top component 8and a bottom component 10. Each component has a lengthwise channel orgroove 12 formed in its inward flat surface 14 as brought out in Figs.5, 6, 7. The forward or leading end of the plug is denoted convenientlyby the numeral 16 and the trailing end by the numeral 18. Thehalf-portions or components of the groove 12 provide an axial bore whichaccommodates the associated complements or accessories in the mannershown in Figs. 6 and 7. It will be noted, for instance, that thefishhook 20 has the usual hooked end22 with a barbed bill 24. The shank26 is rigid and it passes through the passage or bore and terminates inan eye 28.- There is a rod member 30 which has a line eye 32 at itsleading end with the rod portion located in the passage andterminatingin an eye 34. These two eyes 34 and 28 are in alignment to accommodatethe threaded shank'of th esingle assembling screw 36. This screw alsopasses through the eye 38 on the rigid shank of the bait hook 40. Morespecifically, this hook has a barbless bill 42 and a shank portion 44which rests atop the central portion of the plug and is secured by thescrew 36. Thus, the one screw 36 serves to assemble and secure theseseveral eyes 38, 34 and 28 together. In addition, the shank of the screwpasses through the upper portion 8 into and substantially through thelower portion 10, all as brought out in Figure 7. The eye 32 serves toaccommodate the fishing line 46. A suitable detachable balancing weightis provided as at 48 and this is removably secured by screws or similarseparable fastenings 50-50. The idea is to attach this weight to thebelly or ventral portion inwardly of the nose or leading end 16. Weightsof different sizes may be utilized, as is obvious.

With further reference to the body it will be seen that the upper andlower portions 8 and 10 are defined by splitting or slitting the pluglengthwise as at 52. After the rod 30 and shank of the fishhook areinserted and secured by the fastening 36 the space which would otherwisebe left by the bifurcation or slit is filled with an appropriate plasticor filler compound as at 54.

Attention now comes to the assembly of the three weed deflecting andguard wires. These wires are flexibly resilient and are identical andthey are conveniently denoted hereby, as a group, by the numeral 56. Theindividual wires are longitudinally bowed and are denoted at 58 and havetheir forward shank portions 59 fashioned into eyes 62 anchored orsecured in place by wood screws 64. The rearward ends of the wires arein spaced divergent relationship and they terminate in close-coiled return bends 60. These freely flexible and resilient terminal ends orbends overhang the projecting portions of the fishhook and function tofend an attacking fish from accidentally' striking the bait hookindependently of the fishhook. a a Since numerous modifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the -art, it is notdesired to limit flifi'ifiifefiffin tb kact cqii sfi'llgitibfi shownail'd described, and accordingly all siiitable modifi ationsgndqntvalenfs may be resorted to,-"fa11ing withtn:the= scope of theapperitled clairn's; 1 a What iscl'ainaed as new-is as' -follows z 'lV 1. A live bait-holding and fishing device comprising,- in combination,a buoyant plug-{ affishhoolfspaced fror'nthe trailing end of said plugand, having a rigid shank mounted 'aXially-iri said plug, a rigid livebait hook having sembleijhefcooperating parts, slot beingtaperedoiitwardlyand having a filler thereini '2; Thestructuredefined inclaim 1 and -thecombination'a-the'rewith'of a plurality "of flexibly"resilient wires having'their forward ends removablysecured to said'plugth on'e anothen'and one of said forwardlyofsaid live bait'h'ook'andtheir rear-.ends fre l and iprojc'tingibeyond the trailing end; of saidplug and V overlyifigrthe-fishhook, said free ends-havingtightoiledreturn benflsprovidinlg blunt terminals 10 prevent'unneo essaryiinjuryto "a fishi which makes a strike "at the-bait Hllf'iSTIlOi effectuallyhookedi i 3." 'A1ive2bait"ho1ding and fishing'device comprising, in

combination; a buoyant plug for attachment to a fishing fine,isaid"plugbeing provided in onej-sidefvvith' a length wise sl'ot,'* saiclslotopening through thei'espective leading and-trailing. ends of saidplug,"said slotserving to-define cooperatingupper and lower'po'rtions'having adjacent flat wallsi'defined 'by said slota'nd'eachhaving'a lengthwise groove='opening through the respective leadingingends of the plug and defining an axial bore, a fish- ,hookhavingahookedend portion rprojectingnbeyondrthe trailing end of said plug and a shankportion located in the rear half portion of said bore and provided withan eye also located in said bore, a rod having a portion confined in theforward half portionof said bore and provided with an eye in alignmentwith said first-named eye and also provided with a second. eye locatedbeyond the leading end of the plug to' accommodate a fishing line, alive baita-aiookzhaving a 'shank? superimposed; upon said top portionand also provided withan eye at its forward end, and a screw passingthroughsaidlastnamed eye and the fi stzan eqqn na e e and e u n hw rt inassembled relationship, said slot being tapered outwardly and'having afiller thereini 4. The structure defined in claim 3 and the combina tiontherewith of a plurality of flexibly resilient wires having theirforward ends removably secured to said plug forwardlyhofthe-attachedrforward endof said liverbait nook and. having their.rearward ends projecting rb'e'yond tIi'eQtraiIingTendZQf said plug, andsubstantially'overlyingj not only, the'live bait-hook but also thehookedshank pdrtioiijoi said ,fishho k and said free ends having tight coil etdfreturnbends'providingblunt terminals to prevent unnecessary injuryto'a fish which makes a strike'at the bait But'is not 'efiectuallylhooked.

' References Cited 'inthe' file, of thispatent ".ST ATESPATENTS HainesDec, 26,1905 1,07331'99. Wilt); Sept. 16,1913 1,51%;199 HenningSEL'";"Dec. 9, 19124 1535,9511: StanIey' et' aL Apr; 28,4925 1,586,118; rCornsto'ck': May 25, -1'926 21,653,400..; 1 Ieflries:;' Dec. 20,: 19272,001,241 De Vries May 14,1935 2,245,413; S Ha'selwood 'June 17, 19412,258,0803: Ih'omas'et a1; Oct 7, 1941 2523949 I Gambill; Sept. 26, 19502,618,096

'Wagn'er Nov. 18,

